"Help us rebuild our school Mr Cameron"

This is from the Newham Recorder website.  
"STUDENTS “devastated’’ at the axing of £36m to rebuild their school took their protest to 10 Downing Street.

Six pupils from Little Ilford School were joined by East Ham MP Stephen Timms as they delivered a campaign video to Prime Minister David Cameron pleading for the funding to be restored.

Made by the youngsters, the film tells of the “devastating’’ effect of cancelling the rebuilding the Browning Road site.

Year 1l pupil Umer Kayani, 15, said: “We are an outstanding school and deserve an outstanding building.”

The film was delivered with an invitation to the Premier to visit the school to see the conditions staff and students workin. Mr Timms said after the visit: “This much-needed funding would have ensured that the children of Little Ilford school would – for generations to come – be taught in modern, well equipped classrooms.”

The project was one of 14 refurbishments – planned for the borough under the Building Schools for the Future programme – scrapped by Education Secretary Michael Gove in July.

Little Ilford had spent three years preparing to start building the new school and devising a new curriculum to go with it.

Headteacher Yvonne Powell said: “We work hard to empower our students to become active, responsible citizens who can effect change.

“This was clearly demonstrated by our students developing a film and hand delivering it to 10 Downing Street to make sure their voices are heard. This is how we define the Government’s mantra of ‘The Big Society’.’’

The head added: “The students, staff and parents feel passionately about their school and feel that we deserve a new building in which we can continue to provide outstanding education for our students, an education that fully prepares them for the new and unknown challenges of the 21st Century.”

Simon Schama gives his advice

Michael Gove has spoken at the Conservative Party Conference of his intention to overhaul the History curriculum. He attacked the current approach to history teaching, which he said denied children the chance to learn "our island story" in favour of a jumbled mixture of topics. "Children are growing up ignorant of one of the most inspiring stories I know – the history of our United Kingdom," he said. "Our history has moments of pride and shame, but unless we fully understand the struggles of the past we will not properly value the liberties of the present." He has asked Simon Schama, the historian who presented the BBC's "The History of Britain" to provide advice on how to instil "excitement and joy" into the curriculum. Schama himself has said, "A return to coherent gripping history is not a step backwards to dry as dust instruction." This is not the first time Gove has spoken on this subject, always a popular topic with the Tories, but it looks like substantial change to the way History is taught will soon be on the way. What do you think, and what do you think should be included?

PS: Here is an interview between Simon Schama and David Cameron from the FT Magazine.

PPS: Here is Gove's speech in full

Niall Ferguson and the History Curriculum

The historian Niall Ferguson has been invited by Michael Gove to overhaul the way history is taught in schools. Ferguson has spoken regularly about the need to teach the "Big Story" in history, encouraging a greater sense of chronology and connection between more popular school topics such as Henry VIII, Adolf Hitler and Martin Luther King. He is working on a four year syllabus (supported by a Channel Four series) that would emphasize in particular the rise of Western European society. Michael Gove is certainly impressed by this, although he has stopped short of supporting Ferguson's call for History to be made compulsory. Here is one response to his comments. What are your thoughts on this?

PS: Here is a comment from Martin Kettle who believes modern multicultural Britain lacks a common culture to support the sustainable teaching of a common history. Do you agree?

PPS: Here is a Daily Mail article from 2009 that believes "Trendy teaching is 'producing a generation of history numbskulls"

PPPS: The Radio 4 Programme "Analysis" has just covered this issue, asking whether Ferguson's proposals can really be a force for social cohesion. You can listen to the programme here and read a summary of it here.